Monday, 12 October 2015

African Ministers to convene for a conference on IP

'IP for an Emerging Africa' is the theme of a three-day
conference scheduled for November 3 – 5, 2015 in
Dakar, Senegal. The event is jointly organised by the Japan Patent Office and
WIPO, in cooperation with the African Union and the Government of the Republic
of Senegal. [Says Afro Leo: “Those following the progress of African countries
in the Global
Innovation Index will notice that the host has done well, again,
alongside Mauritius and South Africa.”]

The venue: King Fahd Palace Hotel

According to the planners, this event will “highlight the
relevance of IP as an engine for promoting creativity, innovation, scientific
and technological transformation of African economies”.

It is packed with
sessions discussing, among other things, how to create a balanced IP regime
which enables innovation; the role of the patent system; modernising IPOffices; R&D and IP; and the creative industries.

H. E. Mrs. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of the Republic of
Mauritius;

Francis Gurry, Director General of WIPO;

Martial De Paul Ikounga, Commissioner for Human Resources,
Science and Technology at the African Union; and

Catherine A. Odora-Hoppers, Professor at the University of South Africa.

[Afro Leo thinks this is the sort of gathering where one may get the latest on the Pan-Africa Intellectual Property Office (PAIPO)]

This Leo also recognises Nicola Searle (the Katonomist),
who will be moderating a panel discussion on capturing value through IP in the
fashion design industry. He must say that Nicola gave him the idea behind an Africa creative industries event in London two years ago.

There might still be places left, if you would like to attend. Afro Leo would welcome feedback or IP-related gossip from anyone attending.

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AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Afro-IP was voted top 25 foreign and international legal blogs by LexisNexis, is listed on Managing Intellectual Property's guide to IP blogs worldwide, is listed on IPKat's blogroll, was nominated on Nigerian Law Intellectual Property Watch's guide to African IP resources, was voted in the World's Best IP blogs by BIP Counsels and in 2017 in the Top 100 IP Blogs on the Planet!